Mode of opening and closing farm-gates



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SHERWOOD, OF BELOIT, VISCONSIN.

MODE OF OPENING AND CLOSING FARM-GATES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,699, dated June 30, 1857.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SHERwooD, of Beloit, in the county of Rock, in the State of lWisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Self-Acting Gate g and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof7 reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a representation of the gate and its machinery drawn in isometrical perspective; (a portion of the top part of the frame H2 H3 being removed to show the working parts). A1 A2 the posts which suport the weight of the gate &c. The distance between these posts A1 A2 must be not less than twice the width of the gate way when the gate is open. B a beam connecting the tops of the posts A1 A2 having an iron rail C for the wheels D1 D2 D3 D4 which support the gate E1 E2 to roll upon. C an iron rail attached to the beam B and the posts A1 A2. D1 D2 D3 DL1 grooved wheels supporting the gate E1 E2 and rolling upon the iron rail C. E1 E2 the two parts of the gate which open by sliding apart, being supported by the grooved wheels D1 D2 D3 Dl1 which roll upon the rail C. F1 F2 F3 wheels for steadying the parts of the gate E1 E2 and reventing them from moving sidewise. G1 2 G3 posts holding the wheels F1 F2 F3 which keep the parts of the gate E1 E2 in place sidewise. H1 H2 H3 H4 the frame which holds the machinery for opening and shutting the gate E1 E2. I a roll to which is fastened one end of the chain V which holds the weight W. K a crank for winding up the chain V and raising the weight W. L a roll over which the chain V passes with three or four complete turns to prevent the chain V from moving without turning the roll L. M1 a crank fast upon the end of the shaft (or axle) which runs through the roll L having an arm M2 extending in the opposite direction. N a sliding bar which acts as a latch to arrest the motion of the crank M1 M2. O a spiral spring for throwing out the latch N to stop the motion of the crank M1 M2. P a collar fast to the latch rod N for the spring O to press against and the wire Q to pull by. Q a wire connecting the collar P with one end of the lever R a lever turning upon the pin a1 for operating the slidin latch N by means of the wire Q and the co lar I. S1 S2 two links (or braces) connecting the two ends of the lever R with the opposite part of the frame H2 for the purpose of steadving the lever R so as to prevent it from being pulled in a wrong direction by the wires T1 T2 while these wires may be carried off in a direction diagonal to the plane of motion of the lever R and latch N. These links (or braces) S1 S2 are connected to the frame H2 and the lever R loosely so as to allow of a perfectly free motion of the lever R in its proper directions. T1 T2 wires attached to the opposite ends of the lever R to operate the machinery from either of the latch posts U1 U2. U1 U2 latch posts from which the machinery for opening and shutting the gate E1 E2 is set in motion by any person or carriage approaching or leaving the gateway. These latch posts U1 U2 are stationed by the side of the path (or roadway) leading through the gateway, upon the opposite sides of the gate E1 E2 and at any convenient distance therefrom. V a chain (or rope) for moving the machinery7 by means of the weight W; one end being secured to the framework H1 and the other end after passing through the pulley on the weight W and three or four times around the roll L being fastened to the roll I upon which it is wound. The roll L is loose upon its shaft (or axle) and has at one end a ratchet with catch and spring at X. The catch and spring are fastened to the shaft upon which the roll L turns and to which the crank M1 M2 is secured in suoli a manner that the roll L may move in one direction without moving the crank M1 M2 (to allow the chain V to be wound up on the roll I by means of the crank K) while it can not move in the opposite direction without carrying the crank M1 with it. Y1 a connecting-rod from the crank M1 to one part of the gate E1. Y2 a connecting-rod from one part of the gate E1 to the lever Z which lever is at its other end connected with the other part of the gate E2 by the connectingrod Ya. Z a lever turning upon the pin (or fulcrum) a5 and causing one part E2 of the gate to open or to shut by the motion of the other part E1 in the opposite direction, by means of the connecting rods Y2 Y3 and the pins a2 a1 as a7. l a lever attached to the top of the latch-post U1 having the wire T1 attached to one end and a cord (or chain) c to the other end. c a cord (or chain) attached to one end of the lever b and passing over the pulley d and hanging down within reach of any person approaching or leaving the gate E1 E2. d1 d2 pulleys upon the top of the latch-posts U1 U2. e a ball or ring at the end of the cord (or chain) c. f a stop to prevent the lever b from moving too far. g a treadle at the foot of the latch-post U2 to the movable end of which is fastened the end of the wire (chain or cord) T2 after the same has passed over the pulley d2 and down by the side of the post U2. This treadle g is so placed that the wheel or wheels on one side of any carriage approaching or leaving the gate E1 E2 shall pass over it and press it down and thereby pull the wire (or cord) T2 to operate the latch N. Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the frame H1 H1 taken just behind the lever R and the sliding latch N.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the frame H2 H2 taken close to that side on which is the crank K.

Fig. 4 Vis a horizontal plan of the frame H1 H2 &c., with its machinery seen from the to IllVhen any carriage in approachingthe gate E1 E2 passes over the treadle g which extends art way across the carriage road the wheel (or wheels) upon one side of the carriage will press down the treadle g and cause the wire (or cord) T2 attached to it, to pull the ,lever R so vas to draw back the sliding latch N by means of the wire Q and the collar P. The latch N in sliding back releases the rear end of the crank M2 which permits the crank M1 to be set in motion by the weight W operating through the chain V, the roll L &c. which draws back the gate E1 by means of the connecting rod Y1. The motion of one half of the gate E1 being communicated through the connecting rods Y2 Y3 .and the lever Z &c. to the other half Y latch N will be drawn back as before and the crank M1 be released to complete its revolution and close the gate as it is represented. in the drawing Fig. 1.

The crank M1 it will be observed performs its revolutions always in one direction; opening the gate E1 E2 during one half of the revolution and closing it during the other half of the revolution; being stopped by its extremities M1 and M2 alternately striking the sliding latch N. A spring may be placed upon N to prevent the jarring occasioned by the sudden stopping of the crank M; and another spring may be placed where the end of `the chain V, which holds 'the weight W is fastened to the frame work H1 H, &c."to relieve it from the strain occasioned by the sudden stopping of the "wei ht W whenever the crank M1`M2 strikes the atch N.

In the drawing Fig. l the two latch posts U1 U2 are represented as bein tted up differently-the one U1 with a ba lor ring to be pulled by hand, and the other U2 with a treadle to be moved by the wheel or wheels of a carriage-to show that either of these lans or a combination of both of them may be used for setting the machinery in motion as above described for opening and also for shutting the gate E1 E2.

What I .claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The use of the crank M1 M2 in combination with the latch N or its equivalent and the weight W for the purpose of o ening and shutting a sliding gate E1 in Whic arrangement the gate E1 is o ened by one half revolution of the crank Ml)7 and shut by the other half-revolution of the same; the latch N stopping the crank M1 M2 at the end of each half-revolution and the whole being set in motion by a weight W which may be wound up when necessary like the weight of a clock.

2. I also claim the arrangement and combination of the lever Z and the connecting rods Y2 Y1 with the two parts'of the gate E1 and E2 by means of which one part of the gate E1 when moving in one direction opens or closes the other part of the gate E2 by a corresponding motion at the same time in the (pposite direction as described in this speel cation.

WILLIAM SHERWOOD.

Witnesses:

JACOB L. FREY, S. J. SHERwooD. 

